Falls and Fractures When Transferring

Wrongful death transfer. One of the most common ways that vulnerable adults suffer serious injury or death is during a transfer. Including moving from the bed to the wheelchair, wheelchair to toilet, bed to patient lift, etc. Unless done according to the manufacturer’s recommendations for safety serious injuries can occur if a patient slips from the sling or the lift tips and the patient is dropped.

We have seen many cases where the Hoyer type patient lift is not set up properly and the lift will tilt or tip over. Also when the wrong size sling is used or the incorrect type of sling (toileting vs transfer) a person can easily slip out and be seriously injured. Also, many times a lift needs to be operated with 2 aides for a patient to be safe, when there is only one aide the resident can twist in the sling and fall.

Many preventable falls also occur when a person is left in a wheelchair for long periods and they attempt to transfer themselves. Or the improper type or size of wheelchair is used and the patient slips out or tips over the wheelchair.

Falls Lead Fractures and Head Injuries

Many times falls from lifts can lead to fatal injuries from head trauma with subdural hematomas, or facial fractures, hip and femur fractures, pelvic fractures, and others. When investigating these cases the injuries could usually have been prevented with proper care from adquate numbers of well-trained staff using the correct equipment which is well maintained.

Contact Us with Your Concerns.

If you have concerns about accident during an improper transfer or fall which lead to the death of someone in your family contact attorney Kenneth LaBore for a free consultation to discuss you questions and options at 612-743-9048 or by email at KLaBore@MNnursinghomeneglect.com.